Re:Ask HN: How do I understand the results of my job search?
by definitegrunt on Saturday November 23, 2019 @05:48PM
(#21617146)
I've had a couple interviews that mentioned the blog posts as being a factor in giving me an interview. But I definitely agree that these things are valued very little and that's ok. My resume and what I say in interviews focuses on past work performance. I mentioned these things in an attempt to provide some details to support my claim that I'm an ok developer.
Re:Ask HN: How do I understand the results of my job search?
by istjohn on Sunday November 24, 2019 @12:34PM
(#21621896)
>> And one side piece of advice - your blog posts, open source contributions, speaking engagements.... those all are commendable. But mean little when it comes to hiring you.
This may very well be true. But I will say, as someone looking to break into the industry, this is very surprising to me. I guess I should focus on acing the technical interview?
Re:Ask HN: How do I understand the results of my job search?
by throwawaytoday5 on Sunday November 24, 2019 @09:31PM
(#21624982)
When I interview candidates who mention github contributions or courses they've created/taught or talks they've given I never have time to look at it. I'm literally told we're bringing someone on site maybe a day or two in advance, mostly it's day of. I don't have much time to personally comb over their resume sadly.
If you can bring this up during the interview I'd greatly appreciate it otherwise don't assume these things (open source contributions, blog posts, talks) will help you get interviews. What they may give you is the ability to network with people who are hiring which gets you an onsite.
Re:Ask HN: How do I understand the results of my job search?
by codingdave on Sunday November 24, 2019 @12:37PM
(#21621911)
Focus on both - they just serve different purposes. The items mentioned will get their attention, so they are great. But once you have their attention, you need to switch to proving you can help their business.
Re:Ask HN: How do I understand the results of my job search?
by samcodes on Sunday November 24, 2019 @02:31PM
(#21622698)
Hard disagree. Open source contributions are definitely something EM look at. And a good EM knows to look at blog posts. “Can this person explain technical topics to a technical audience” is a hugely important factor.
Re:Ask HN: How do I understand the results of my job search?
by itronitron on Sunday November 24, 2019 @10:21AM
(#21620894)
>> How did you improve the business results of your former employers?
Do you have any suggestions for experienced devs that aren't free to answer that question with any detail?
Re:Ask HN: How do I understand the results of my job search?
by krallja on Sunday November 24, 2019 @11:02AM
(#21621176)
Don’t use detail, use metrics. “I reduced the time-to-production of a critical service by 41%” tells me absolutely nothing about your previous employer’s trade secrets. Everybody wants a 41% reduction in time-to-production.
What you should worry about is whether the hiring process continues after the first interview. You moved on to tech interviews in more than half, which is decent. Again, if half of them needed something different than what you are, that is fine. Let it go.
But you only moved to an onsite about a quarter of the time - it sounds like you may have a disconnect in the tech screen. It is difficult to say what isn't working there without more info, but I'd focus your attention on that step of the process.
And one side piece of advice - your blog posts, open source contributions, speaking engagements.... those all are commendable. But mean little when it comes to hiring you. Hiring managers want to know what accomplishments you had in your work. How did you improve the business results of your former employers?